Automatic refilling lead pencil



H. SASAKI 4 May 11 1926.

AUTOMATIC REFLLLING LEAD PENCIL Filed June 25, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 11 1926.

H. SASAKI AUTOMATIC REFILLTNG LEAD PENCIL Fild June 25. 1923 2 Sheets sheet 2 [/v VE/V 70R HJSA SH] 534524 Kl .BYATTY:

Patented May 11, 1926. v V r 1,534,326 I UNITED STA TE ET OFFIQE.

HISASHI SASAKI, 0.? LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC REFILLING LEAD PENCIL.

Application filed June 25, 1923. Serial No. 647,620.

This invention. relates to an. improvement 25, is revolubly connected with sleeve 26, in refillable lead pencils, and has for its obscrew-connected to casing 21. Vithin the ject's to provide a pencilv of this character casing, is mounted ahopper 27, adapted to having means for holding lead refills, for contain lead refills 28, and having an aper- 60 holding a single lead inwriting position ture 29, through which the lead refills may relative to the casing, means for adjustment be inserted. 'The hopper has a chute 30 at of the lead in the writing position, and the bottom, through which the lead is promeans for automatically replacing a new pelled, the lead extending through aperture lead in the writing position, when the worn 31 in writing. An extension 32, having, a 65 lead is no longer usable. It is a special debore 33, extends coaxial with chute'30. The sign of. this invention to provide a lead penhopper has a revoluble casing 34, which is oil capable of holding a quantity of lead reeccentrically disposed relative to chute 30 fills, and having means for automatically and extension 32, and concentrically disfeeding a new lead to the writing position. posed relative to shaft 51, connecting the 70 it-h. the above ends in view the invention heads 52 and 53, of the hopper. A follower resides in the combination and arrangement 35is adapted to extend within the hopper of parts asmore fully set forth in the suband to pass through bore 33. A spring 36, joined detail description, and defined in coiled around the casing 34, has one end the claims. connected to casing 34, and the opposite end 75 In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view connected to the head 53, of the hopper. of my improved automatic I pencil. Fig. 2 The shaft 51 has a projecting rib 54 extendis an enlarged and longitudinal sectional ing longitudinally through the hopper, and View of the same- Fig. 3 is a cross-sectionadjacent to the axis of the chute and extenal view taken on the line X 'X of Fig. 2, 'sion 32. The hopper casing 34, has a. rib

Fig. 4 is aperspective detail view of the 55 extending longitudinally through the hopper for the lead refills. Fig. 5 is a, de hopper, and serving to force the leads tail view of the tapered cap for the casing. against rib 54 and in alignment with Fig. 6 is a top view of the follower which the bore of the chute and in the, path propels the leads from. the casing. Fig. 7 of the follower 35. The spring 36 actuates is a side detail view of the follower. Fig. the caslng 34, so that the rib serves as a 8 is a longitudinal and sectional view of the follower for the leads within the magazine casing. Fig. 9 is adetail viewof the rotatof the hopper. The tension of spring 36 able actuator for the follower- Fig. 10 is a serves to prevent the leads from falling fragmentary and. detail view of the follower from the cap 22 and from the magazine of showing the means for releasing the same the hopper.

from engagement with the rotary actuator The follower 35- is provided with an enatthe limit of its propelling stroke. Fig. 11 larged and tubular portion 37, and a prois a similar view of the follower showing jecting rib 38 which slides between longithe actuating cam inoperative position, and tudina-l guides 39, on. the inner wall of cas- 40 the releasing cam in inoperative position. ing 21. Cap 24, has an integral and thread- Fig. 12 is a side view of the non-rotative ed shank 40, extending into the tubular porportion of the lead hopper. Fig. 13- is a tion. 37, of the follower. A spring member cross-sectional view of the hopper showing 41, fixedto part 37,,has a cam 42, projecting the inner cams which serve to force the leads inwardly through aperture 43, and engag- 45 into position in the path of the follower. ing with shank 40. The rotation of shank Fig. 14 is a longitudinal and sectional view 40 therefore serves to actuate the follower, of the pencil. Fig; 15v is a longitudinal and and thereby impel the lead through cap 22. sectional. view of the hopper casing. Fig. spring 44, fixed to part 37, has a cam 45,

16 is a perspective View of the hopper cas adapted to engage with a movable cam 46,

50 ing. pivotally mounted on. the party 37. Spring Assuming the invention to. be embodied 44 has a second cam .47, adapted to slide be,- in the form illustrated, my improved pencil neath spring 41. Shank 40 isarranged with consists-of a casing 21, provided on its lower its threads decreasing to nil at its extremity end with a tapered cap- 22, having screw 55, so that, as the follower 35 approaches threads 23,. for connection with the casing. the limit of its lead-impelling movement,

A rotatable cap 24, having a knurled edge cam 42 is disengaged from. the threaded shank 40, and a cam 47 thereupon slides be neath spring 41, to retain cam 42 in its disengaged position while the follower 35 is moving to its initial position. Spring 48,

5 interposed between collar 49 on hopper extension 32, and the tubular part 37, of follower 35, actuates the follower to its initial position. As the follower approaches its initial position, the upper extremity 50, of

movable cam 46, engages with top cap 24,

and the impact thereof against cam 45, is effective to lift spring 44, and disengage cam 47 from spring member 41, thus allowing cam 42 to resume its normal position in en- 1 -gagement with threaded shank 40. VVhen the follower has resumed itsinitial position, the spring 36, will actuate the tubular element 34, and a lead refill will then be forced against the rib 54, and into alignment with the chute and the bore 33, and in the path of the follower 35. Then, as the knurled cap 24 is rotated, the lead will be impelled through chute 30 and through aperture 31, in cap 22. As the lead is worn away, the

25 cap 24 may be further rotated to force a portion of the lead to extend from the cap member 22.

From the foregoing description and the drawings, it will be readily seen that the device is effective for containing a quantity of lead refills, effective for impelling the leads to writing by use, and effective for automatically feeding a new lead to the writing position, when the worn lead is no longer usable, and that all of these functions are accomplished by the manual rotation of the knurled cap member 24 at the upper extremity of the casing.

The invention includes a magazine hopper for the lead refills, a spring-actuated follower to impel the leads consecutively from the magazine hopper and automatically returnable to its initial position, and a springactua-ted element working within the hopper, and serving to feed the lead refills into the path of the follower and to retain the lead refills in operative position in advance of the impelling follower, and relative to the easmg.

The bores of the chute and aperture 33, are off-set relative to aperture 31, an infinitesimal amount, effective to retain the lead in writing position and projecting from cap 22.

What is claimed is:

1. A lead pencil comprising a tubular casing, a tapered and apertured cap at the lower extremity of the casing, a revoluble cap at the opposite end of the casing, a threaded shank integral with the revoluble cap and having the threads decreasing at the extremity thereof to nil, a lead hopper within the casing, heads forming the ends of the hopper, opposed and co-axial projections extending from position as they are worn.

shank, and means having a hollow bore, a magazine casing revolubly mounted between the hopper heads, and disposed in eccentric relation with the tubular extensions, a shaft con necting the hopper heads and arranged eccentric with the tubular extensions, a rib on the shaft arranged longitudinally within the magazine casing and fixed to the shaft, a rib fixed to the magazine casing, and movable relative to the first-named rib, a spring having one extremity fixed to the magazine casing and'the opposite end fixed to the lower hopper head, and actuating the magazine casing and its movable rib, a follower slidable within the tubular pencil casing and extending within the hopper and serving to impel the lead from the hopper and into the lower casing aperture, an enlarged tubular portion forming the upper part of the follower, and sliding over the threaded shank, a spring-actuated cam mounted on tlie tubular portion of the follower and en gaging with the threaded shank and disengaging therefrom at the extremity thereof, another spring-actuated cam angularly disposed relative to the first-named springactuated cam, and operative to retain the said first-named cam in its disengaged position, a tiltable cam mounted on the follower and adjacent to the last-named spring-actuated cam, an arm on the tiltable cam adapted to engage with the top cap to release the last-named spring-actuated cam as the follower approaches its initial position, and a coiled spring interposed between the hopper and the tubular part of the follower and operative to force the follower to its initial position when the cam is disengaged from thethreaded shank.

2. A lead pencil comprising a tubular oasing, a tapered cap at the lower extremity thereof and having an aperture, a knurled cap at the opposite extremity of the casing and revolubly mounted thereon, a threaded shank depending from the knurled cap, a hopper within the casing adapted to contain the lead refills, a follower within the casing and having one end sliding in the hopper, a spring-actuated cam on the follower and in engagement with the threaded for releasing the springactuated cam from engagement with the shank, as the follower approaches the limit of its sliding movement within the hopper. 3. A lead pencil comprising a tubular casing, a tapered cap at the lower extremity thereof and having an aperture, a knurled cap at the opposite extremity of the casing, a threaded shank depending from the knurled cap, a hopper within the casing and having a chute terminating adjacent to the aperture in the tapered cap, and having a hollow guide member extending from the. opposite end of the hopper and with its the hopper heads and each bore arranged co-axial with the chute, the

hopper having its Walls contracted to form a groove in alignment with the hollow guide member and the chute, a follower slidably mounted in the casing and extending through the guide member and within the hopper, a spring-actuated cam on the follower in engagement with the threaded shank, and means for releasing the cam as the follower approaches the limit of its sliding movement within the hopper.

4. A. lead pencil comprising a tubular casing, a tapered cap at the lower extremity thereof and having an aperture, a knurled cap at the opposite extremity of the casing, a threaded shank depending from the knurled cap, a hopper within the casing. a chute and a guide member extending in opposed relation from the hopper and each having a hollow bore, a coiled spring encircling the hopper and maintaining the hopper in eccentric relation to the casing, and with the bore of the chute in eccentric relation with the aperture in the tapered cap, a follower slidahly mounted in the casing and extending through the guide member and within the hopper, a cam on the follower and in engagement with the threaded shank, guide members on the inner wall of the casing, a rib on the follower and sliding be tween said guide members, means for releasing the cam as the follower approaches the limit of its sliding movement within the hopper, and means for retracting the follower to its initial position when its actuating cam is released.

5. A lead pencil comprising a tubular casing, a tapered and apertured cap at the lower extremity of the casing, a revolubly mounted and knurled cap at the opposite extremity of the casing, a threaded shank integral with the revoluble cap and extending within the casing, a lead hopper extending within the casing, a hollow chute and hollow guide member projecting in opposed relation from the hopper, a follower sliding in the guide member and extending within the hopper, means for preventing rotation of the follower, a spring-actuated cam on the follower and in engagement with the threaded shank, means for releasing the cam as the follower approaches the limit of its sliding movement, means for retracting the follower to its initial position when the spring-actuated cam is released, and means for releasing the camreleasing means as the follower approaches its initial position.

6. A lead pencil comprising a tubular casing including a tapered cap having an aperture, a revoluble cap at the opposite end of the casing, a threaded shank integral with with the revoluble cap, a lead hopper within the casing, opposed and co-axial projections extending from the hopper and each having a hollow bore, the projections being arranged eccentric with the body of the hopper, a spring serving to maintain the hopper in eccentric relation with the casing, a follower slidably mounted in the casing and extending within the hopper and serving to impel a lead from the hopper and into the casing aperture, an enlarged tubular portion on the follower and sliding over the threaded shank, a spring-actuated cam mounted on the tubular portion of the follower and engaging with the threaded shank, the threaded portion of the shank decreasing to disengage the cam at the extremity of the shank, another spring-actuated cam angularly disposed relative to the first-named springactuated cam, and operative to retain the cam in its disengaged position, a tiltable cam pivotally mounted on the follower and adjacent to the last-named spring-actuated cam, an arm on the tiltable cam, and engaging with the revoluble head to release the last-named spring-actuated cam, and a coiled spring interposed between the hopper and. the enlarged portion of the follower and operative to force the follower to its initial position when the cam is disengaged from said threaded shank.

7. In an automatic lead pencil, the combination with a casing having an aperture in one end thereof, of a magazine hopper mounted within the casing and having a lead ejecting aperture normally in olfset position relative to the casing aperture, a follower arranged to impel the leads from the magazine hopper, a manually operated screw mechanism to actuate the follower with its impelling movement, a spring arranged'to return the follower to its initial position, a rib element arranged within the hopper to feed the lead refills into the path of the follower, and a spring to actuate the hopper to maintain the said rib element in its working position, and to maintain the hopper aperture in off-set relation with the casing aperture.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature.

HISASHI SASAKI. 

